The Keeper and Guardian of Time
by Jetainia
Summary: Part 2 of the Keepers and Guardians series. A Prophecy was banned by those afraid and yet they held in their ranks the one whom the prophecy spoke of.


The Keeper and Guardian of Time was born of flames, freedom and family. The foretelling of the Keeper and Guardian of Time was spread through the stars just as that of Death was. However there was an obstacle to the Constants Keeper and Guardian, those that believed themselves to be Lords over Time, the Time Lords.

A trait found in the hearts of most men, pride and arrogance forced them to erase the prophecy from the minds of their race. There would be no one above the Time Lords, they decided. The Time Lords were the self-designated guardians of time, there was no need for a Guardian of Time when the Time Lords already existed.

Fate would not hear of it, Fate had decided and a small race of humanoids were not going to stop Fate from giving the trials to one Fate deemed worthy. The Time Lords would know, in time, what they had done but by then it may be too late for them to repent.

The first trial, that of freedom. No longer would the one chosen be cloistered away with the rest of their race. No longer would the one chosen observe and not interfere. Freedom would be chosen and punished for. It did not matter, the one chosen was free and they were happy with their freedom. A test of will.

The second trial, that of family. One cannot travel alone for eternity and yet one cannot travel with the same companions for eternity. The trial of family was perhaps the hardest trial Fate had decided upon. As a family was made, so it would disperse as a mother bird throws her child out of the nest to fly. The one chosen would have a large family and yet would have to let the fly on their own one by one. A test of love.

The third trial, flames. War is not kind and yet it is perhaps the most merciful to some. In the flames of war the one chosen would have to make a terrible choice between those he knew and those he would know. Those he knew would be free from oppressors and those he had yet to know would have no fear. Those he knew would fight for the rest of their lives and those he had yet to know would live in fear of oppressors. A test of mercy.

The test of will was passed when an old man and his granddaughter stole a time machine to explore the stars.

The test of family was passed when the old man said goodbye to his found family one by one and wished them well on their journey of life.

The test of flames was passed when a choice was made to destroy oppressors along with his own people, leaving him alone.

The Keeper and Guardian of Time was born.

The Doctor was not quite sure what had happened, he had ended the war of the Daleks and the Time Lords with the only way he knew how and now he was alone. Except he wasn't, Time was with him and he was the Keeper and Guardian of Time. No longer was he merely a Time Lord, now he was something the Time Lords had feared.

Information had streamed into his already full mind and his duty became clear, protect and watch over. So the Doctor kept travelling, finding family and teaching them the wonders of space and Time. He Kept the fixed points and Guarded against those that would harm his Constant.

Then the Keeper and Guardian of Time met the Keeper and Guardian of Death.

In the language of Constants, the man in the green cloak approached the Doctor and said, "Greetings, Keeper and Guardian of Time."

Time told him who the man was and he replied in turn, "Greetings, Keeper and Guardian of Death."

Rose stood by his side glancing between the two confused. She did not know the stranger, now did she know what they had said to each other apart from the first word. 'Greetings' wasn't really a word that could tell you a whole lot about who a person was and what they were doing.

"Why are you here, Keeper?" The Doctor asked.

"For the same reason as you, to Keep and Guard my Constant. There are many souls here that need Guarding. Perhaps we should work together to Keep our Constants, no?"

The Doctor held out his hand for the other Guardian to shake, "Allons-y."

"Hi," Rose said, seeing the two shake hands, "I'm Rose. And you are?"

The man lowered the hood of his cloak and smiled at her, green eyes sparkling with amusement, "Harry."

At that moment the windows and doors exploded inwards as Cybermen forced their way into the house where Jackie Tyler's party was being held. The Keepers and Guardians looked at each other before leaping into action.

That of Time removed all those in danger from their places as that of Death called the souls to him. Time had stopped as the Keeper and Guardian ensured no others would die needlessly. The trapped souls gladly left their metal shells and flew into the waiting arms of their Keeper and Guardian.

It was over before it had even begun for Rose Tyler, one moment she had been meeting a stranger who had seemed to know the Doctor and the next she was on the other side of the room with Cybermen lying on the floor. The stranger, Harry, was laughing at something she couldn't see held in his arms.

Keeper of Time approached Keeper of Death and smiled at the souls freed from their torment. The Keeper of Death then sent the souls to his Constant where they would be safe until called back by Life.

"I must retrieve the others," Harry murmured as he watched the souls leave.

"Would you like some help?" the Doctor replied with an eyebrow quirked.

"If you are willing to give it, I see no reason to refuse, Doctor."

Rose had been making her way to the Doctor's side to demand an explanation for what had just happened when he and Harry simply vanished. She stared at the place he had been before sighing and going back to the party goers, apparently it had fallen to her to help the humans recover. The Doctor would be back for her eventually, he probably just had to do some Time Lord-y stuff.

The Cybus Industries factory was a shining beacon to the eyes of one Harry Potter, Keeper and Guardian of Death. So many souls there were crying out for protection against what had been forced upon them and he would not stand for it any longer. Time and Death worked together to free the captured as they worked their way through the factory. Soon, every soul was free and there was only one thing left to take care of.

John Lumic had been attempting to fix his Cybermen as they fell to the ground for no apparent reason. He had been so close to upgrading everyone and yet a flaw such as this was inconceivable. Cybermen were the ultimates, who was destroying so many of his creations?

"Hello John Lumic, son of Marcus Lumic, others have tried to do what you have done and none have succeeded. Come with me."

The voice came from a slight man with dark messy hair and green eyes in a long green cloak. Next to him stood a man he had seen before, tall in a pinstripe suit, that man had been trying to stop his cybermen.

"I do not obey orders, I am the Cyber Controller."

The shorter man smiled sadly, "No you are not, John Lumic, son of Marcus Lumic. You are simply a man who is afraid of Death. There is no need to be afraid, I will Guard you."

Sparks flew out of the metal casing as the soul of one John Lumic was pulled out by the Keeper. It resisted, trying to stay in power, to stay alive but nothing can stop Death. Not even Time, had he wished to, could have stopped Death. Delay perhaps but never stop.

A great scream rose up out of the Cyber Controller as the soul was detached and all that was left was a suit of metal. John Lumic, son of Marcus Lumic was cradled in the arms of the Keeper and Guardian of Death as he and the Keeper of Time left Cybus Industries, their work finished.

As the three time travellers made their way back to the TARDIS and their own dimension Rose asked the question that had been in her mind since the night of the party, "Who was he, really?"

The Doctor sighed and smiled at her, "He was a Guardian and he was needed."

"A Guardian of what?"

"You'll know in time. When you meet him again, you'll know and I will have to say goodbye."

There was silence between the three as they walked before Mickey asked, "Who are we talking about?"


End file.
